Poker is a game of cards where players bet money into a pot and the player with the best 5-card hand wins. The game can be played with two or more people and there are many variations. While the outcome of any specific hand in poker depends on chance, the long-run expected winnings of a player are based on actions that are chosen on the basis of probability, psychology and game theory.

Players take turns putting money into the pot. They may call a bet, raise it or fold. Players are allowed to “check” if no one before them in the betting interval has made a bet. This allows them to avoid losing money to bluffing players who may make large raises with weak hands.

Some poker games require a blind bet that occurs before players are dealt their cards. Players can “call” the raise or they can fold and forfeit the round.

In some variants of the game there are wild cards that can be used to make certain hands. For example the joker, which counts as a fifth ace in a flush, can be substituted for any other card to make a straight. The king of diamonds, jack of spades and jack of hearts are also designated as wild cards.

Poker is a game of bluffing and reading other players. Learn their tells, such as eye movements, idiosyncrasies and betting patterns. Conservative players who rarely raise their bets are easily spotted and can often be bluffed into folding. Aggressive players will frequently bet high early in a hand and can be bluffed into raising by other players with good hands.